Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts last week made a Presidential campaign swing through California speaking on education issues, but in his major speech generally avoided committing himself to any specific proposals for improving schools.
The rival campaign of Vice President George Bush responded by dispatching Secretary of Education William J. Bennett to California in an apparent attempt to steal the limelight from the Governor.
Mr. Bennett cancelled a scheduled speech in West Point, N.Y., to make the trip, which he said was paid for by the Republican National Committee and the Bush campaign organization in California.
On the Offensive
Governor Dukakis gave his first major address on education since the Democratic national convention before an audience of students and employees of the Oakland Public Schools, who were gathered Sept. 1 at a local convention center for a 鈥渂ack to school鈥� day.
鈥淣o issue, no concern, no institution means more to me than education,鈥� the Governor was scheduled to say, according to his prepared remarks.
The 鈥渇oundations鈥� on which his education agenda stands, he said, are the four planks of 鈥渆arly-childhood education; good teaching; ending illiteracy; [and] college opportunity.鈥�
He repeated his calls for a National Teaching Excellence Fund, to provide financial aid for the training of prospective teachers, and for the revival of the national teacher corps as a 鈥渞eal domestic Peace Corps for teaching鈥� in rural and inner-city schools.
In his speech, the Democratic candidate took measured aim at the Reagan Administration鈥檚 record on education, saying that voters must choose between 鈥渢hose who believe
that good education should be the property of a few, and those who believe that it is the birthright of every American, no matter who they are or where they come from or what the color of their skin.鈥�
The Governor said that while the Administration had eliminated remedial-education programs for 500,000 disadvantaged youngsters, 鈥渨e鈥檝e started an essential-skills program in my state that is aimed at helping every child in our state get a good start in life and a fair shot at the American dream.鈥�
鈥淲hile they鈥檝e led an assault on college loans and grants,鈥� he added, 鈥渨e鈥檝e quadrupled our scholarship assistance to low- and middle-income students.鈥�
Repeating a question that has become one of the Democrats鈥� favorite campaign themes, he asked: 鈥淎nd where was George when all this was going on? Where was the man who now says he wants to be education President? He was playing hooky. He was nowhere to be found.鈥�
Mr. Bush鈥檚 commitment to education, he suggested, is only 鈥渁n election-year strategy.鈥�
Bennett鈥檚 Preemptive Attack
Meanwhile, Mr. Bennett spent the morning in San Francisco meeting with journalists across the Bay from the site of Gov. Dukakis鈥檚 later address, then flew to Los Angeles for a brief press conference.
In Los Angeles, Mr. Bennett belittled Mr. Dukakis鈥檚 record in education as 鈥渦ndistinguished.鈥�
鈥淲e do not have in Mike Dukakis an 鈥榚ducation Governor,鈥濃�� he declared.
He also defended the Administration鈥檚 education efforts, saying, 鈥淚鈥檒l put our record against his record any time.鈥�
Seizing one of the major themes of his own tenure as Secretary, Mr. Bennett noted that the Massachusetts governor had recently vetoed a bill that would have allowed parents in Boston and Worcester the option of enrolling their children in nearby suburban districts at state expense.
The Republican and Democratic candidates for President, he said, also differ on issues such as 鈥渁ccountability,鈥� the purpose of bilingual education, and the desirability of requiring teachers to lead their classes in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Governor Dukakis鈥檚 most recent education proposals, he added, amount to 鈥渂land bromides.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檒l tell you one thing an education is supposed to do: it鈥檚 supposed to help someone distinguish and determine when a person is talking rot,鈥� he said.
鈥淎nd I can tell you, Governor Dukakis is talking rot about education,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing there.鈥�
Correspondent Richard Colvin contributed to this report.
